My Favorite TV Show
by annabrell
Summary: It's that time of year again and Aeliana can't wait for the Hunger Games to begin. Then once a stupid bet is made, even Aeliana dreads the outcome the Hunger Games will surly bring. This is the 74th Hunger Games Through the eyes of a citizen of the capitol.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N : This is my first fanfiction, so please review. If it is not good please tell me what to fix.**

My name is Aeliana, I am thirteen, and a citizen of the capitol. I have dyed my skin a hot pink and have red rubies embedded up my arms. Over all I think I am very pretty. Each year we have, what I guess you would call a contest, where we throw in twenty-four contestants, and only one of them comes out alive. It has always been my very favorite thing to watch. Even though I'm not supposed to, me and all my friends always bet on who will win. I'm usually wrong.

We have this contest because in the dark days, the thirteen districts that are a part of our President Snow came up with the idea that we should make this game called the Hunger games. In it one girl and boy from the twelve districts that remained would go and fight to the death. The one who survived at the end of it, would get a big huge home and their district would receive extra food for one whole year. Like I said earlier, it is my favorite thing to watch. Sometimes when I am bored I go back and watch recaps for hunger games I was not alive to see.

Today is what I call the kick off for the Hunger Games. It is reaping day. That means that Capitol citizens are going to go to the twelve districts and pick the players that will play in the Hunger Games. If people want to play in the Hunger Games, and are not chosen they can always volunteer. I am going to hang out with my best friends in the whole entire world, to watch it. I cannot wait for another great game.

When, I finally get to Minerva's door, I'm bursting with excitement, for today is the Hunger Games! "Minerva, can you believe that this day is finally here!" I shout to my friend when she answers the door.

"I know! I've only waited 365 days for this! I hope the tributes are good this year, unlike those tributes that froze to death." Minerva exclaims back at me. Quick word about my friend Minerva, she got surgery to look like a cat, she looks so beautiful, I wish my parents would let me get alterations like that. They only allow what I currently have, so it does not look like I will be getting those long white whiskers for a while. That's ok because I can wait.

"Ugh, those were the worst games ever!" I say back. We enter, and turn on her television, and are greeted by our favorite commentator ever, Caesar Flickman.

"Welcome to the Seventy-fourth annual Reapings!" He announces. And just like that we are watching the Reaping for District One. The Man is reaching in the bowl for the girl tribute, and my heart stops beating for a few seconds. I swear I will pee my pants soon, when he finally calls out "Glimmer-" and Minerva and I are on our feet screaming, the Hunger Games are finally official, we have our first tribute. It doesn't matter that we did not catch her last name, at the Capitol; we call all the tributes by their first name.

On and on the reapings go. And the only one that has so far caught my attention is this boy named Cato from District Two. He is a mighty man and I know that he is who I want to win the Game. Maybe he can be mine, like how that one Victor named Finnick is so many other peoples. I get lost in a fantasy that stars both me and Cato, when suddenly Minerva nudges me. "What?" I angrily ask her, she ruined my daydream.

"Someone just volunteered in District Twelve." She says quietly to me.


	2. Chapter 2

"What?" I stare dumbfounded at Minerva, no one has ever volunteered in district twelve, because it is one of those poor districts that starve and die without the Hunger Games help. I can't believe something like this could ever happen in District Twelve.

"Aeliana, are you watching the same T.V. channel I am? Why don't we watch it again? So that some unobservant person can see the volunteering, they weren't observant to see the first time." With that Minerva has the remote, rewinds and I watch a little girl get reaped. As she goes thru the crowd, an older girl, about sixteen, shouts out, and in one swift moment has the little girl safely behind her back and is saying the words I never thought a person from district 12 would say.

"See, I told you someone had volunteered!" Minerva says smugly to me. I think that Minerva is one of those people who loves being right, and rubs it in other people's faces. Like me right now.

I scowl at her. Honestly, I think I am one of those people who hates it when their wrong and rubs it in other people's faces when their right. That's probably why we are such good friends, it could also be because she has a cat alterations. Either way, I'm glad we are friends.

"We should go meet up with our other friends and cast in our bets on who we think will win this year. If we do it now then we can all watch the tributes board the train together!" That is another one of the thing that gets me so excited for the games. Watching each tribute's journey begin as the train takes them to the capitol.

Minerva quickly agrees with me and before you know it we are off to a place where most people our age hangs out, Octavian's place. Bets are always made at Octavian's house; He is one of the most popular people in school. His dad is also richer than most families, which means that their manor is bigger than most. Octavian rarely rubs in just how much richer he is than us, but on nights like tonight, he always hosts the biggest and best parties for kids in school. So most people come to Octavian's to get a good party, and to bet on whatever tribute their betting on.

I have yet to decide who I will bet on, my family usually bets on underdogs like District Seven, and Five. I think my parents bet on them because even though they're not from power houses like Districts Two and Four, they have a better chance of winning than dirt poor districts like Eleven and Twelve. That's not the real reason, the real reason of why they bet that way, is a couple of years back, my Dad took a dare that he would bet on the weakest tribute, a girl from District Seven, Joanna Mason. She won the Games that year so ever since then my dad has betted on, not-the-weakest-but-not-the strongest-Tribute.

"Aeliana, are you day dreaming again?" Minerva asks me. When I shake my head she pulls on my arm and pulls me right up to Octavian, because we are going to make our bets now.

Octavian has a tattoo for each of the Hunger Games, like for the Seventieth Hunger Games he has a blue trident to symbolize that Finnick from District Four won those games. His tattoos are multicolored and all over his body. Octavian is the most beautiful boy I have ever seen in the Capitol. I can't say he is the most beautiful because Finnick and the boy from district two are better looking in my opinion.

"Who are you betting for? I think I am going to bet ten coins that the girl from District One is going to win." Octavian told us. He looks at Minerva expectantly, and I don't know why but that really ticks me off. I am just as beautiful as Minerva, and the only reason I don't have cat alterations is because my parents won't let me get those yet.

"Well, I bet ten coins that it will be the girl from district twelve that kills the girl you betting on. And I'll also bet five coins that she will be the one to win it all." I angrily say to Octavian before Minerva has time to speak and before I have time to realize what I just betted on.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here is the third chapter, as always please review, if you don't like it please tell me what to fix. Disclaimer: If I owned the Hunger Games, then this story would not be on Fanfiction!:)**

I cannot believe what just came out of my mouth. District Twelve has as much chance of winning this year as I have of becoming an avox. They have only won the games twice before, so the odds of me keeping my fifteen coins are pretty slim this year. This is a real bummer, knowing already that I am losing all the money I am betting with, I can tell you. The only reason I had even betted on her is because she was the first person I had thought of, I was going to bet on Cato, but when I got mad at Octavian all reasonable thoughts were driven from my mind, and now I am stuck with the girl tribute from District Twelve because of it. I am such an idiot! Now Octavian and Minerva are looking at me, and clearly wondering when their friend had gone so insane, as to bet on something so weak. Sadly I agree with them that I have gone insane.

It is a couple of minutes before Octavian speaks. "I'll be happy to take you up on that bet. It's a stupid bet, but then I would happily gain fifteen coins any day." He then smiles like he's won the lottery, and the worst part is that unless my tribute has secret ninja skills, he really has won a lottery. Suddenly I am reminded why I have never really liked Octavian as a person or a friend.

Minerva saves the day by saying " I'll bet ten coins that the boy from District One, Cato, will win this year. He seems like the type who wins." Minerva is as awesome as her cat alterations, she is the only person I know who can totally and completely ignore or pretend that something embarrassing had happened. Right now I don't think I should hate her but I can't help it, she betted on who I really wanted to bet on, Cato.

We say good bye to Octavian, and then a small group of people, Minerva and I included in this group, headed over to Octavian's over the top entertainment room. We are going to watch the tributes depart for the capitol, and at this point I just hope it is not too late and it is still being broadcasted. Fate is not very kind to me, we had turned it on too late, but it was not as bad as I had feared, we could still watch District Twelve. District Twelve, the one I had betted would win this year. I take a good long look at the girl I'm betting will win. Smaller than average, that is not in her favor, unless she is stronger than she looks, which I doubt. She has straight black hair and gray eyes and with a stylist she'll be pretty enough. Yet this girl will not be as pretty as, say, the girl from District One. Overall, the odds are not in this girl's favor. I think the only thing about her that doesn't make me want to run off and cry is that as she gets on the train, she appears bored. Not like the blond boy right next to her, who has clearly been crying his eyes out. Appearing bored does not make her look strong, but it does not make her look weak either. For just a moment, I respect this girl. Then that moment ends.

All of my supposed friends that are in this room seem to think that me betting fifteen coins on this girl is hilarious. They cat-call, and say rude things to me like "Aeliana, you think this bit of trash is worth _fifteen coins_?" Even Minerva is shaking her head at the idea that someone would bet that much money on a tribute from District Twelve. Or that ten of those coins would be that she kills a specific tribute, and five that she _wins._ Apparently when faced with better seeming tributes, this girl, whose name I clearly need to learn, doesn't appear to be as grand as she seemed in the moment when she volunteered for Twelve.

I want to get away from these people who laugh at me, I want to go home. "I loved watching my tribute get on the train, it's a shame you did not get to see yours." With that I walk off and leave them all in the Entertainment room. That has got to be my least favorite party I have attended to date, hopefully the next one I attend will be better.

When I get home I don't want to have to talk to my younger brother, so I walk in the back door. I hate how embarrassed I feel right now, and my ten year old brother will only make me feel worse. My brother is the kind of person who embodies his name of Brutus. He is the kid always running around wrestling with people. He has dyed his skin a vomit green and has tattoos that make him look like he has scales. Because they are tattoos and not alterations, Brutus came have them.

After I'm sure that Brutus is not at home I remember that my dad has gone through a similar problem, and I am resolved to try and find him to talk about it.


End file.
